Turnbutton fastener



n. BOURQUE. AuRNuoN FASTENER.' APPvLlCATlON FILED FEB. i6, 1921-.

Patented May 30,1922. l

In?) eno dcitizen of the United DAvID BoURQUE, or AMESBURY,

MASSACI-IUSETTS, ASSIGNOR '1.0

G. W. J. MURPHY COMPANY, or AMESBU'RY, Massacrrusnr'rs,A a coge-Ponencia or' viasssonts a'rfrs.`

TURNBUTTON F.ASTEJ\TER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1922.

Application filed February 16, 1921. Serial No. 445,353. A f

To all 107mm t may concern.' o

Be it l.known that l, Diivin Hormone, a States, and a resident of Amesbury, county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an lmprovement in Turnbutton Fasteners, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings f representing like parts.

This invention relates to fasteners of the turnbutton type such as are commonly usedv for securing the curtains of automobiles to the frame and for similar purposes. One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of such al fastener which will be exceedingly compact and not project unduly from the work and which will h old the curtain vor other member snug.

My invention may best bey understood by reference to the following description of the embodiment thereof shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: n

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through the parts of the fastener in engaged position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the eyelet;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3*3 of Fig. 2,' Y v Fig. 4 is a rear view of the button member;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the head element detached;

Fig. 6 is a plan thereof; and

Fig. 7 is section on line T-7 of Fig. 6.

A fastener of the turnbutton type coinprises two elements, the button element and the eyelet. The former is usually secured to a fixed support such as the frame of the vehicle and the latter to some member such las the curtain of an automobile which it is to secure thereto. Referring to Fig. 1 the button member shown comprises anoblatebase or body 10 adapted to be encircled by Vthe eyelet and a head or button proper 12 rotatably mounted thereon; preferably by yielding means as hereafter described.4 When the head V12 is aligned with the'base it may pass through a corresponding oblate opening in an eyelet 14 andthereafter be turned to dbe parallel tothe shorter 'dimensionof such eyelet to overlie the sides thereof and hold it in its position encircling the body 10.

In carrying out my invention in the manner here disclosed, I may utilize for the eyelet 14 a form shown in my copending application, Serial No, 349,749, iiled January 6, 1920, wherein I have claimed the same per se. The eyelet 14 is shown detached in Fig. and may comprise a sheet metal body conveniently of circularI from as shownV proyided with the oblate opening 16; Projecting rearwardly from the. margins of Vthe body are attaching prongs 18 by'which the eyelet may be lsecur of a washer 20 (see Fig.' or some similar member.V

The face of the eyelet adjacent the open- 1) to'a curtain 22 ing 16 may be formed to provide at thefextremities ofthe minor axis thereof protuberances 24 paralleling the major laxis or longer Y dimension and sloping gradually downward in either direction from the extremities of the minor axis.` The'crest of these protuberances may be 'provided'with recesses-26 in the head of the turnbutton v.when it is in traversing relation to the eyelet the parts of the fastening! together. button of the turnbutton is passed through the opening and since the'margins of the opening' adjacent the longer extremity4 are countersunk relatively to the .crests'of the protuberances 24, the button may be readily turned toward the traversing positionand it will then ride along the protuberances 24 turned ed. through th'e'medium usualy manner to seatthe to locky The' which act in the manner of cam 'rises'l and the eyelet rearthe support for the bodyV ofthe turnbutton so that'it isfirinly held in position withoutl danger of rattling and if the head ofthe button is resiliently mountedv eitheras describedV in my previous appli'cationiabove referedl to or, asherein disclosed, this action is facilitated andthe eyelet is held pressed inposition by a resilientfpressure eiectually preventing any rattling of the parts.

F or ,this purpose the effective thickness of? Por the eyelet, measured from the 'rearmost tion thereof (when in place on a'curtain or the like) f" to (really the crests of the cam rises the bottoms of the recesses 26 when such are provided) is greater than the eiffectiveheight of the body 10 and l have herein shown the metal of the eyelet adjacent the margin of the opening 14 extended rearwardlyv at either side of the minor axis thereof provided with ears 23 which extend rearwardly through the opening in t-he curtain 22 which mates with the opening 16 in the eyelet and which are adapted to make contact with the support for the body 10 of the turnbutton.

lf we suppose the eyelet to be applied to the curtain 22 of an automobile it is obvious that it is desirable to roll the latter up and in any event the eyelet should be so made as to project as little as possible from the surface of the curtain so that thc parts will have arneat appearance and will not be likely to be bent or damaged. These considerations impose a practical limitation on the length of the rearwardly projecting ears 28. An important feature of invention, therefore, is the provision of a suitable buttoni member in combination with an eyelet of the kind described to permit it tofunction in the manner just described and also to obtain certain other advantages as will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to Fig. 1, for this purpose the base 10 of the turnbutton which the member encircles is made of very small height, thus reducing to a minimum the projection of the turnbutton member as a whole from the part to which it is attached. To facilitate making this base of low height the button proper or head 12 is swivelled thereon and held thereto by resilient means disposed exteriorly of the body 10 instead of interiorly Vthereof as is common and which means may beconveniently housed within the head 12. Herein I have shown the headV 12 as consisting of a suitable sheet metal stamping of cup-like form having a base opposed to the face of the body member 10, the latter being provided, if desired, with suitable crossed positioning` grooves 30 to receive in either position of the head the ribs embossed-in the base of the latter whereby to position the head either in alignment with the body or in traversing position thereto. The ribs and grooves vare preferably rounded so that the head 12 may, through use of its yieldable mounting presently to be described, be

moved lfrom one position to another by a mere turning action. The head 12 is adapted'to turn on a spindle 34C rising from the body, this spindle herein taking the form of a hollow rivet having a head 3G which may form a closure for the hollow head 12 and, in cooperation with the inturned margins 3S of the cup-like body thereof, in the normal. position of the parts form the exterior wall of the head 12. As best shown in 1Fig.

turned margins 38 may 7, the periphery of the opening dened by the' in-y be bent'inwardly toV the head 36 of the rivet. lnterposed between this head 36 and the base of the button member is a suitable spring such as the coil spring 40. The rivet is upset on the inner face of the hollow body or housing 10 and it will be clearly understood that the head or button 12 is by this means yieldably and rotatably held Vupon .the body 10. i ltwill be noted that as far as the button member itself is concerned the body 10 need be of no sub stantial depth as it is required to accommodate only the turned over end of the rivet instead of the spindle and spring as is customary in certain types of turnbutton fas- -in utilized to accommodate the resilient means for positioning the headon the body. The overall dimensions of the fastener may thus be reduced to a minimum so that it will proj ect to a relatively small degree from lthe frame of the which it is attached.

rlhis construction permits the eyelet la to embrace the body 1() ofthe fastener and vyet be pressed by the head against the support for such body without an undue increase in the thickness of the 'parts Vof the eyelet. lreferably the parts are so proportioned that when the ears V28 make contact withV the support for the body 10 (inthe present` instance a basal flange e2, presently to be referred to) displace the head 12 toward the right in Fig. 1, lifting it from Vits seat'fand compressing the spring 10. rI he partsY are thus held pressed together by the spring pressure of the spring which would lead to an unpleasant noise, yet at the same time the eyelet is positively locked in its encircling position around the body 1 0 of the fastener bythe head 12 in traversing position across the same. Preferably, however, such displacement `does not unseat ribs 32 from grooves 30 and therefore :lll the parts are locked together under the tension of the spring by interengaging por-` tions, one of the ribs 32 being 'seated in the recesses 26 of the eyelet. j

ln the turnbutton member as here shown the head or button 12 may be conveniently vehicle or other member to i the cam rises 24 will somewhat 40 and there is no lost motion made of the same cross section as the body sides thereof as indicated in Fig. 5 and slope Vor undercut them slightly toward the'rear of thel fastener as shown in Fig. 6. VThis kand to prevent this I slightly flatten the Y i sheet metal vand is provided with a basal` flange 42 of genera-l circular form and the diameter of this circle may correspond more or less closely to the' longer dimension of the housing l0. For attaching this member there is provided an element having an enlarged head 44 and an attaching shank46 in the form of a screw,r`ivet' or thel like.

The head 44 rests against the flange42 overl lapping on either side of the shorter dimension of the housing l0 and may be secured in position by a rolled-over edge48 of said flange embracing the edge of the head, as shown in Fig. 1. To prevent rotation of the securing member within the base member so thatv the whole may be handled as a unit, marginal portions 50 of the head 44 may be struck up in the form of prongs so as to enter the hollow housing l0, conveniently at the extremities of the longer diameter thereof, thus positioning the attaching member.

Claimsl. A turnbutton fastener comprising, in combination, an oblate body, an eyelet adapted to encircle the same having an oblate opening and of greater thickness at the minor axis of said opening than the depth of the body, a head and resilient means ex- Y terior of the body for rotatably attaching the head thereto. l

2. A turnbutton fastener comprising, in combination, an eyelet having an oblate opening, protuberances paralleling the major axis thereof and sloping downwardly toward their ends and a button member having a relatively shallow base adapted vto be encircled by the eyelet, a rotatable head and means exterior to the base for yieldably pressing the head toward the base. i

3. A turnbutton fastener comprising, in combination, an eyelet having provision providing a bearing therefor on a'supporting member and a turnbutton having a low body to be embraced by the eyelet, a head and means for rotatably mounting it on the body including av spring housed in said head, the spring being tensioned when the parts are locked through displacement of the head by the eyelet which is supported by the member on which the body is carried.

4. A turnbutton fastener comprising, in combination, an eyelet having an oblate y desired or known manner,-

cluding a sprin opening and having cam rises onj` the face thereofalong the llonger sides ofl the openlng' and aY turnbutton having a .body to be embraced by they eyelet of effective height Y lessthan the effective thickness ofthe eyelet measured'- fromthe rearmosjt part thereof.`

tothe crests of said rises and having a head rotatably mounted onV the body by means inadapted inthe toride on said by away from ofL thel spring. i Y 5. A turnbutto'n fastener comprising,iin combination, an eyelet havingan Voblate opening, i

sides ofthe opening and cam rises on the g exterior to the body andk locked position 0f the parts risesY and be displaced there-` the body against thevfor'ce` rearwardly extending ears at the" face thereof along the longer-sidesof the opening and comprising also afturnbutton having a bod having an eiective height less than the effective thickness of said eyelet measured between the ends of said ears and the crests of said rises and havingy a head rotatably mounted on the base by means including al the body and adapted in A spring exterior to the locked position of the parts to ride on said risesl and be displaced thereby away from the body against the force of the spring.

to be embraced by the eyelet 6. A turnbutton fastener comprising, in.

combination, an eyelet lhaving portions to project rearwardly beyond the member carrying the eyelet and a turnbutton having a body to be embraced by the eyelet and of thickness of the eyelet and having a: head rotatably mounted on said body by means including a spring exterior to the `body and adapted in the locked position of the parts to be displaced by the eyelet away from the body against the rforce of the' spring.

7. A turnbutton fastener comprising an oblate body, a spindle rising therefrom, an oblate head rotatable about the spindle, a spring between the head and spindle normally Vpressing the head and body together and an eyelet to embrace said body and having an effective thickness greater than the effective height of said lbody whereby when the head is in traversing position across the eyelet it is displaced thereby away from the base against the force of said spring.

k8. A turnbutton fastener as described in claim 7 wherein the eyelet and head are'provided vwith rib and groove portions mating in the traversing position -of the latterV k an effective height less-than the Veffective lio,y

metal cup-like head having a bottom fitting said base and an inturned margin providing a restricted open top for the cup, a spindle rising from the base passing through said' bottom and having a head received by and substantially closing the open top ofthe cup, and a spring interposed between said head and the bottom of the cup.

l0. A turnbutton 'comprising a base, a

Ysheet metal cup-like head having a bottom fitting said base and an inturned margin providing a restricted open top for the cup and bent inwardly at the periphery of said open top to provide an extended bearing, a spindle rising from the base, passing through the bottom and having a head received in said bearing and substantially closing the open top of the cup, and a spring interposed l2. A fastener including a circular flange portion and a hollow oblate portion arising therefrom and means forseeuring the fastener comprising a plate received by said flange portion having projections entering the oblate portion thereby to prevent relative turning of the plate and the flange portion.

13. A fastener including a circular flange .Y

portion and a hollow oblateY portion arising therefrom having a major dimension sub- Y stantially equal in length to thediameter of the circlerand means for' securing the f as- Y tener comprising a plate restingA against theV flange portion and'having portions struck from the margins thereof entering the oblate portion.

In testimony whereof, I' have signedY inyf name to this specification.

` Y Y DAVID'BOURQUE 

